Parcel-post computing scale



Sept; 18, 1923.

C. H COLSON PARCEL POST COMPUTING SCALE Filed April 12 INVENTOR v C. H. 601.50 (ale 1 .25%

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 18, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

cmnns n. coLsoN, or nns mourns, IOWA.

IPABCELPOST COMPUTING SCALE.

Application filed April 12, 1920. I Serial no. 373,129.

To all trimmit may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. GoLsoN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Parcel- Post Computing Scale, of which the following is a specification;

heobject of this invention isto provide.

. computing dial or plate in a scale and rela-- tive to the spring supported suspended means. i

A further objectof this invention is to provide improved means, for indicating to the observer the amount of postage required on a package suspended from a scale.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which i Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating the,

complete device in position for practical use. Figure 2 is a rear iviewv of the spring supported suspending means, dial, and end members of the .housin detached fromthe remaining elements. F igure 3 is a cross section on the line 33 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a erspective illustrating the rearface of the dial plate and the guard lugs formed thereon. Figure 5 is a face view of the computing dial or plate..

In the construction of the device as shown a back plate 15 is employed, which plate is "formed with forwardly extending flanges 16 on its longer side margins, said flanges terminating in outwardly rolled hook poi tions 17 The back plate 15 also is formed with a concavoconvex-groove or seat 18 1]] its central portion, the concaved. surface of said groove being on the forward surface of said plate. A front plate19 is provided and is adapted to cooperate with the back plate 15. The front plate 19 is formed on its longer side margins with rearwardly and,

inwardly curved rolls 20, which rolls have their free margins spaced slightly from the rear face of said front plate. The front plate and rear plate are adapted vto be assembled by relative sliding movement longitudinally, the rolls 20 of the front plate engaging snugly and sliding on the hook portions 17 of the flanges of the rear plate so that the front plate and rearplate are held and maintained in parallelspaced rela-.

tion to form the major portions of the scale housing. Counterpart end members 22, 23

are provided, one of said member's'being shown in Figure 8. Each of the end members'22, .23 possess a shape and configuration conforming to the outline in plan of the housingcomposed principally of the assembled back plate 15 and front plate 19; and each of said end members is formed with aperipheral flange 24 adapted to engage frictionally an end ortion of the housing, above. described. Vhen the end members are so engaged they'complete the housing by closing the end portions thereof. Each ofthe end members 22, 23 is formed witha central hole through which a member to be described later is'slidably extended.

dial plate 26 is provided and is of a width to fit snugly within the housing and of a length considerably lessthan said housing so thatsaid dial plate is adapted for.

considcral'ilerange of movement longitudinallyof and within said housing. The dial plate is formed with a number of spaced rearwardly extending lugs 27 on its margins, ada ted for sliding contact with the inner surfiice ,of the rear plate 15 of the housing, said lugs serving to hold the face of said dial plate insnug contactwith the rear face of theffro'nt plate 19 and dial plate also is formed at its lower margin With a rearwardly extending ear 28 centrally located and ,formed with an aperture 29 therein. A threaded stem 30 is slidably mounted through the aperture 25 of the top plate 22 and, a nut 3l is adjustably mounted on said stem in contact with the upper face of said top plate. The stem ,30 is formed with a head i32 at its lower end adapted to be engaged by 'a' -retractile coil spring 33 mounted within the housing. The spring is formed with a hook 34:v at its lower end and said hook passes through the aperture 29 of the ear formed on the lower end of the dial plate26. By this means the dial plate is adjustably and yieldingly supported from the top of the housing. The car 28 is termed near its inner end with a down turned stop lug 35 adapted to be engaged by the hook 3% to limit and prevent torsional movement of the spring 33. A rod 2-36 is extended slidably through the hole 25 of the bottom plate ot the housing and said rod is formed at its upper end with a hook 37 engaging the housing 3% of the spring. it its lower end the rod 56 is termed with an eye 18 in which is pivotally secured a hook 39 adapted to be employed in supporting a package or other article to be weighed. i bail ell) preferably is tormed from a single length of wire suitably bent and tormci" between its ends and at its ends having inturned members -Ll-l adapted to engage pivotally in holes termed in the upper portions of the flanges 16 of the housing.

011 the torward face of the dial plate 26 is a vertically arranged suitable scale 42 which is grad flied to suitable denominations of weight and which may be provided with suitable indicia indicating weight. The front plate 19 ot' the housing is formed with an openin 43 with which the scale 42 of the dial plate registers and through which portions ot said scale may be observed and read. The outline of the opening 43 preferably is so tor-med as to produce an indicator ll directed toward the scale 42. The

dial plate 26 also has on its trout face a series of vertical rows of numerals 45, in this instance tour in number. The rows of numbers progress in selected sequence from the lower to the upper end of the dial plate and are arranged in transverse rows having certain definite relations to the units ot the scale The rows 4:") 0t numerals are arranged in alinement with openings 46 "formed in the front plate 19 in transverse alincment with the opening 44 and said numbers are adapted to be read through said opening to determine the amount of postage required in different zones for the package being weighed, the weight of which is indicated through the opening M, The front plate i9 bears suitable indieia such as 47 indicating the various Zones or other units of distance to which the various columns 45 of numerals rclatg it being understood that said numerals represent the amount of postage in cents or other denomination.

A supporting plate $8 is provided and is tormed with suitably located holes 49 to receive screws or other securing members by means ot which the support may be secured to a wall or other object. The supporting plate 418 is ttormed with a pair of spaced torwardly extending apertured cars 50. 51, the apertures of which are in vertical alinement. A bracket arm 52 is provided and is formed at one end with a jintle having its ends projecting beyond said bracket arm and pivoted in the apertures of the ears 50 51. At

its other end the bracket arm 52 is formed with a hole 54 adapted to be engaged by the bail it) of the scale housing, whereby the scale supported, The lowermost car 51 of the supporting plate preferably is termed with a plurality of seats 55, radiating from its aperture and adapted to be engaged selectively by the lower margin oi the bracketarm 52, whereby said bracket-arm may be held in any of several selected positions of angularity relative to the vertical plane of the supporting plate 48.

he tension'ojf the spring 13 and the vertical position of the dial plate 26 and of the scale l2 and figures 115 thereon relative to the openings ll, all; oi the housing may be adjusted by adjustment ot the nut 31 on the threaded stem 30.

Various members 0'! the housing, the dial plate 26 the supporting plate 48 and the bracket 52 may be formed of metal by stamping and pressing, so that a very inexpensive article may be produced, which article will be thoroughly cllic ent For the purpose 'l'or whirl it is i... u=-l. The method of assembling the members of the housing also makes for economy of manutacture. The members ot the housing may be suitably finished by cnameling or the like and the major portion of the front plate 19 may be employed tor advertising or other suitable printed matter.

The groove 18 ot the back plate provides space for the spring 33 and for the car 28 ot the dial plate in their vertical movement in the housing.

1 claim as my invention 1. A parcel post computing scale, com prising a housing formed with transversely alined openings, a spring suspended within said housing, a suspending member secured to the lower end of said spring and projecting outside ot' said housing, and a dial plate secured to the lower end of said spring and movable vertically in said housing as said spring expands and contracts, said dial plate being formed with a scale indicating weight and readable through one of sai openings and also being tormed with. tabulations indicating amount of postage and readable through others of said openings, said dial plate also being formed with spacing lugs on its rear face slidably engaging the rear wall of said housing.

2. A parcel post computing S(';1l0 comprising a housing 'i'ormiu with transversely alincd openings in its trout wall, a spring suspended within said housing. a suspending member secured to the lower end o'l" said spring and projecting through the lower end of said housing. and a dial plate secured to the lower end of said spring and vertically movable in said housing as said spring expands and contracts, said dial plate having on its front face a scale indi- ISO eating weight and readable through one of the openings of said housing, said dial plate also being formed with tabulations indicating amounts of postage and readable through others of said openings, said dial plate also being formed'with spacing lugs extending rearwardly into contact with the rear wall of said housing and holding said dial plate against the front Wall thereof.

A parcel post computing scale, com-' spring, said dial plate being formed with a scale and with tabulations readable through the openings of said housing.

4. A parcel post computing scale, comprising a housing having spaced back and front plates, said front plate being formed with transversely alined openings, a coil spring suspended within said housing, a supporting member secured to the lower end of said spring and projecting through the lower end of the housing, a dial plate having a rearwardly extending apertured car at its lower end, said spring being formed with a hook at its lower end extended through the aperture of said ear, said dial plate being formed on its front face with a scale and tabulations readable through the openings of said housing plate, said back plate being formed with a vertically extending groove to receive said spring and the ear of said dial plate.

5. In a scale, a housing comprising back and front plates and end plates, the back plate being formed with forwardly extending flanges on its side margins, outer margins of said flanges being turned outwardly, the front plate having its side margins rolled rearwardly and inwardly and adapted to engage the outwardly turned portions of the flanges of the back plate, whereby said back plate and front plate may be assembled and connected by endwise sliding movement. I

6. In a scale, a housing comprising back and front plates and end plates, the back 'plate being formedwith forwardly extending flanges on its side margins, outer margins of said flanges being turned outwardly, the front plate having its side margins rolled rearwardly and inwardly and adapted to engage the outwardly turned portions of the flanges of the back plate, whereby said. back plate and front plate may be assembled and connected by endwise sliding movement, said end plates being formed with peripheral flanges adapted to engage end portions of the front and back plates and the members formed thereon.

Signed at Des Moines in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, this 9th day of April, 1920.

CHARLES H. ooLsoN. 

